106 EXPEDITION TO THE 



with some interest, from the circumstance that Desmarais 

 had acted as guide to the canoe in whicli the unfortunate 

 Keveney was travelling, and that he was one of the prin- 

 cipal witnesses, and had even heen indicted as a party to 

 the crime. Much stress was laid in the course of the trial 

 upon the question whether this spot was included in the 

 province of Upper Canada, and it became necessary to ex- 

 amine this point ; after very full testimony had been re- 

 ceived from the best geographers in the country, it was 

 decided that the limits of Canada did not extend that far. 



While we were resting upon one of the islands, an In- 

 di:ui came up in his canoe with his family and supplied us 

 with fresh sturgeon and with dried huckleberries. These 

 are said to be cured in a manner which will preserve them 

 for two or three years ; they are first dried in the sun, then 

 smoked by placing them upon a net over a slow fire until 

 the skin bursts, and the juice begins to flow; after which 

 they are again exposed to the sun until they become dry. 

 The smoky taste which they acquire improves their fla- 

 vour. 



After passing through a small lake, rendered very rough 

 by a stormy w^ind, we reached Rat portage, which is about 

 one hundred yards long, we crossed it and encamped on 

 the shore of the Lake of the Woods. We are informed 

 that there is a communication by a fine fall from the lake 

 into the river, and that it is to avoid this fall that the por- 

 tage is made across an island. We did not see the fall. 

 We had scarcely reached the eastern end of the portage 

 when a heavy rain commenced, to which we remained ex- 

 posed during the greater part of the afternoon. 



Rat portage has become a point of some importance, as 

 it appears probable that the north-westernmost point of 

 the boundary line of the United States will be at or near 



